Low Oxygen Storage of Special Precooled ‘Kees Nelis’ and ‘Prominence’ Tulip Bulbs1
in Journal of the American Society for Horticultural ScienceAbstract
Flowering of ‘Kees Nelis’ (Tulipa gesneriana L.) tulip bulbs was not impaired after 4 weeks of storage at 17°C in either 3 or 5% oxygen. ‘Kees Nelis’ bulbs stored in air or 1% O2 for 4 or 6 weeks and ‘Prominence’ bulbs stored at any reduced O2 level for 4 or 6 weeks flowered unsatisfactorily. Bulbs specially precooled later in the forcing season yielded unsatisfactory flowering after storage at 17°C regardless of cultivar. Low O2 levels (1 to 5%) reduced the respiration rate of bulbs stored at 17°C for 6 weeks compared to bulbs stored in air. Storage of ‘Kees Nelis’ bulbs for 3 weeks in air with 5 ppm ethylene caused flower abortion upon forcing. Three or 5% O2 reduced ethylene-induced flower abortion during storage.
Contributor Notes
Received for publication December 4, 1980. Michigan Agriculture Experiment Station Journal Article No. 9738.
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27650.
This research was supported in part by a grant from the Netherlands Flower Bulb Institute, N.Y.
